Psychological determinants of life satisfaction among deck cadets: the mediating role of positivity and doomscrolling

Objectives. Following the first academic year, deck cadets experience increased psychosocial stressors during onboard training. As their adaptation affects readiness for high-stakes decisions and career sustainability, identifying protective resources and risk behaviors is crucial. This study examines the association between positivity and life satisfaction, testing whether doomscrolling - compulsive scrolling through negative news - mediates this association. Methods. A cross-sectional design was employed, utilizing validated scales among 380 deck cadets. Structural equation modeling was conducted to analyze the direct and indirect effects of positivity and doomscrolling on life satisfaction. Model selection relied on a nested χ2 difference test, and indirect effects were estimated using bias-corrected bootstrapping with 5000 samples and a 95% confidence interval. Results. Positivity was positively associated with life satisfaction and negatively associated with doomscrolling, while doomscrolling was negatively associated with life satisfaction. The bootstrapped indirect effect of positivity on life satisfaction via doomscrolling was significant, supporting a partial mediation model with a retained direct path. Conclusions. Doomscrolling acts as a behavioral pathway that associates positivity with life satisfaction during onboard training. Addressing a gap in maritime psychology, the study provides the basis for cadet-focused resilience training and digital media literacy practices designed to reduce maladaptive news consumption habits.